Live and Love Each Day: Daily Meditations for Living Fully

JANUARY

JANUARY 1

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

It is up to you to design the life that you want. The most important relationship you will ever have is with yourself; make sure that it is a good one. This means being in touch with yourself enough to know and respect your feelings, desires, and needs. You don’t need to wait for someone else to come along in order to fulfill your goals in life; you can do it for yourself.

Most of what happens to you is self-created. You are the author of your own story and the creator of your life. While things may happen to you that are beyond your control, your response to those things is your choice. You can use all of your experiences, both good and bad, as lessons that will help you to move in the direction of your dreams. Instead of waiting for life to give you what you want, take responsibility for yourself. Go out and get it.

JANUARY 2

GRATITUDE

Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces in the world and one of the keys to true happiness. It is an action, not just a feeling. You can practice gratitude by consciously focusing your thoughts in a positive direction, taking care of what you have, and expressing appreciation to others for all that they bring to your life.

There is nothing too small to be grateful about. Be grateful for every little thing and enjoy the moment. Be grateful for what you do have, and also for what you do not have. Sometimes the worst thing in the world is to actually get what you want. Usually what you do have is exactly what you are supposed to have and what you really wanted all along.

JANUARY 3

GUARD YOUR PEACE

Protect your sense of peace above all else in your life. It is very precious. It is very difficult to keep a proper perspective or be productive when you have lost your serenity. Getting angry, rushing, and not accepting things are examples of things that can steal your peace. When you are not on the right path, you will start to feel depressed, angry, guilty, or anxious. Use your feelings as sources of information about what needs to change.

Sometimes we have to go through a conflict in order to get to peace, and that is okay. The feelings will pass when you take the right actions to move forward. You will know they are the right actions because a sense of calm will come to you. If you can’t decide which way to go, choose the direction that gives you the most peace. Peace is the umpire. If you lose your peace, you lose your joy. If you lose your joy, you lose your strength. Guard your peace.

JANUARY 4

LIFE-CHANGERS

Sometimes, you may spend a few years on a plateau. The period on the plateau may actually be a period of preparation. You may be taking actions to try to move forward, but it seems like nothing is happening. It may not look like anything is happening, but the groundwork is actually being laid under the surface to give you the foundation for the next change in your life. Then, all of a sudden, something will happen that will propel you forward and you will just keep on going and going.

You will realize just how much has happened and how much has changed. It could be that someone said something at the right time, and all of a sudden you had the courage to act. It could also be that someone came into your life at exactly the right time to help you to move up to the next level. Sometimes, the universe will provide an angel who will help you in a way that only they could. You only need one person to believe in you to change your life.

JANUARY 5

ALLOW OTHERS TO BE IMPERFECT

Keep reasonable expectations of others, and make peace with their imperfections. You will never find that perfect mate, friend, or child. If you yourself cannot be perfect for others, how can you expect them to be perfect for you? Everyone holds a mixture of qualities, and you can’t pick and choose which qualities you will accept and reject the rest.

Although certain issues are clearly deal-breakers, most issues can be improved as long as person is willing to work on them. You have to accept the whole package. In order to have abundance in your life, you need to have people in your life. In order to have people in your life, allow them to be imperfect and focus on what they bring to you. The more you focus on the gifts they have for you, the more gifts you will discover.

JANUARY 6

CULTIVATE HUMILITY

Maintain a spirit of humility. Humility means recognizing your own limits, taking your rightful place in the scheme of things, being teach-able, and relying on God more than yourself. It is the reverse of puffed-up pride. Humility is expressed by accepting the truth and having compassion. To cultivate it, have a don’t know mindset, and ask God for help with your life. This often requires an attitude adjustment.

The longer you are alive, the more you will realize how little you really know, and the more questions you will have. You are probably not as great or as bad as you think you are, and neither are others. Elevating yourself above others leaves you vulnerable to envy, criticism, and loneliness. Putting yourself too far below others diminishes your dignity and is a prescription for self-pity. Keep a balanced perspective about what you think you know, and recognize how much your thinking has already evolved over time. Keep an open mind.

JANUARY 7

BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT

There is an intricate interconnection between the body, mind, and spirit. Each one of these aspects of our being has an effect on the others. If your body is out of balance, it is likely that your emotions will also be out of balance. This, in turn, can also affect your spiritual condition. If you get emotionally upset, it can cause you to have physical problems and illnesses that are a physical manifestation of an emotional issue. Physical self-care is the most basic activity to maintain wellness, and it also clears your thinking. Emotional well-being is more difficult to tackle, but with practice, can become a matter of habit.

Learn to clear out your emotional clutter on a daily basis through writing and talking to others. Mind-emptying in the morning and evening will keep you from accumulating unwanted emotions. Then your thinking will become more positive and clear. Spiritual growth directs your thinking. It is often the case that when a spiritual issue is cleared up, the emotional and physical issues will automatically resolve. Cultivate some sort of daily spiritual practice, such as prayer or meditation. Comprehensive self-care means attending to your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Do one thing in each of these three areas daily.

JANUARY 8

ACCEPTING OTHERS

Let people be who they are. Acceptance does not require you to like something. It merely means seeing and accepting the truth of a situation and not fighting reality. It also means letting go of unrealistic expectations of others. Your expectations of someone may not be unrealistic in general terms, but they may be unrealistic to expect from them. If you are continually struggling in relationships, change your expectations and accept people as they are.

Focus on the truth about people, instead of what you want the truth to be. Realize that you cannot change them. It is hard enough to change yourself. Let others take responsibility for their own issues. Acceptance also communicates love. Everyone wants to feel loved for who they are. Accept people for who they are without expecting them to be different. This will allow you to appreciate them in a new light.

JANUARY 9

CONTRARY ACTION

Contrary action is doing something new and different that you are not accustomed to doing in order to make constructive changes in your life. When problems come up and challenge you, you can get your negative character traits under control by acting the opposite way that you feel. It will be something that is counterintuitive, the opposite of what you are used to doing. If you are angry, acting lovingly. If you feel greedy, act generously. If you feel fearful, act boldly. If you feel dishonest, act honestly.

At first, it will be uncomfortable, but later on, it will come naturally. Then your feelings will change as the result of these new actions in your life. Even if you do not think differently, you can still behave differently. Your thinking and emotions will change for the better.

JANUARY 10

KEEP WALKING

Sometimes walking through a tough time is all we can do. There are times in life when we are challenged beyond our limits. One thing happens, and then another, and another, and another. It can feel like the pain will never end. During these times, it is essential to keep taking actions to move forward, regardless of how you feel. Even if the constructive actions don’t seem to be paying off, keep taking them anyway.

You may even have to do more to take care of yourself during the tough times. There are times when we can coast, and times when we have to pedal faster. Eventually, it will come to an end, and you will see that your limits can be stretched and you will still be okay. In fact, it will make you stronger, wiser, and more grateful for the good times. Just keep walking through it, head up to the sky.

JANUARY 11

PEOPLE COME INTO YOUR LIFE FOR A REASON

Everyone you meet has something to teach you. Sometimes, the least likely people can teach you the most, if you are paying attention. Especially when a relationship is particularly difficult, that person may be your greatest teacher. Some of our most important qualities, like patience and compassion, are often cultivated in us through the pain and suffering of difficult relationships.

Look for the gifts that people have to offer you. Sometimes, the gifts are disguised in burlap instead of pretty wrapping paper. A lot of relationships are supposed to end after what you were meant to do together is done. This is okay. Keep bringing new people in to your life and allow them to enrich you. Some people come into your life for a reason, others for a season, and others for a lifetime.

JANUARY 12

HABITS

You form your habits, and then your habits form you. Pay attention to the habits in your everyday life; for example, when you wake up and go to bed, what you eat and drink, the things you do to take care of your health, the type of thoughts that you engage in your mind, the way you move and pace yourself, and the amount of reaching out to others that you do.

Take constructive actions on a daily basis to maintain your physical and emotional health and well-being. If you have fallen into a negative habit, it can be changed. All you need to do is make a decision that you want to change it. Just take it off and put on another one. If you do something for twenty-one days, it becomes a new habit. Never underestimate the power of the small choices we make each day; they add up over time. New habits will change the direction of your life and your destiny.

JANUARY 13

WORRY

Most people worry from time to time, but some people take it to a higher level. Worry is a repetitive contemplation of the negative, and is often an unbalanced view of a situation. When you are trapped in worry, you are caught in a negative mindset. In the end, most outcomes are a combination of positive and negative, not just the negative.

To rise above worry, first define the situation. Look at the facts and get objective help from others in order to sort out reality. Next, face the worst that could happen. If you play it through all the way to the end and then decide what you would do if the worst happens, you will be prepared for anything. Next, resolve to accept the outcome, whatever it is. This means that you have prepared yourself to accept any outcome whether you like it or not. Finally, work to improve the situation. If there is any groundwork that you need to do to prepare yourself for a bad outcome, go ahead and do it. Take all necessary actions that will ease your mind. In the end, action is the antidote to worry.

JANUARY 14

DOWN TIME

Scheduling down time is an important part of taking care of yourself. In today’s world, one of the hardest things to do is to have down time. Everyone is multitasking from morning until night, connected to multiple electronic devices at all times, and responding to all of them simultaneously throughout the entire day. Humans were not made to function this way. It is no wonder that mental health issues and physical illnesses have been on the rise.

Our brains are over-taxed, and our bodies are depleted beyond measure. Sleep should not be your down time. People also need rest and relaxation in addition to sleep, every single day. It is during periods of rest and down time that we often hear within ourselves what we are supposed to do next. Find a way to build breaks into your day, and let nothing be required of you during those times. Do nothing in particular. Just let yourself be.

JANUARY 15

LISTEN TO YOUR FEELINGS

Befriend your feelings. Your feelings can be your internal guide. They will tell you when something is good for you and when something is wrong. Sometimes feelings can be very subtle, so pay close attention. That little feeling inside that says, I might really like to do that . . . or That doesn’t seem like such a good idea . . . can be all you need to know.

Listen carefully to what you really feel inside. Let your feelings inform you in your journey. Instead of being others-directed and looking for all the answers from other people, listen to yourself. While it is often a good idea to seek wise counsel, in the end, make your decision using your own intuition.

This is a form of taking responsibility for yourself. No one knows as well as you what you are really feeling about a situation or what the right choice is for you. Listen to your own feelings.

JANUARY 16

ALLIES

Assume the best about others. See people as allies, not enemies. Most people are not out to get you. They are simply doing what they do and doing the best they can with their own lives. Even when they oppose you, it is because they are trying to benefit themselves in some way, not because they are your adversary.

Human nature is basically loving and good. Most people will try to help you if you ask them. Of course, there are some exceptions to this, but for the most part, people are your allies. Cultivate as much goodwill as you can from people; you never know when it is going to make the critical difference in changing your life.

In nature, birds migrate together because the flying is easier and faster when they support each other. They are able to accomplish much more together than alone. It is the same for humans. The power of supporters is a force multiplier. We are all very limited in what we can accomplish by ourselves. Cultivate allies in your life.

JANUARY 17

PROSPERITY

Prosperity is not just about having possessions, money, success, and power, although you need enough money to live well. It is about love, relationships, emotional and physical health, developing your talents, and living up to your full potential in every area of life. Prosperity is whatever feels abundant to you, and it does not have to fit anyone else’s definition. It is not only measured by what you have, but by what you can give. It comes through the spiritual power of love through service.

Prosperity means having all that you need physically, emotionally, and spiritually to meet any circumstance, with enough left over to give wherever God might direct you. If you are a bottomless pit and nothing is ever enough, you do not have prosperity. If you do not appreciate what you already have, how could you possible appreciate more? An important part of prosperity is recognition of what has already been given to you. It is a state of mind.

JANUARY 18

PORTION CONTROL

In order to maintain your emotional balance, weigh and measure your time with difficult people. Boundaries and portion control are the keys to sanity. It is up to you to set the boundaries that work for you. If someone pushes your buttons or is toxic for you, limit your time with them so that you can avoid becoming negative or reactive. Spend as much time with difficult people as is good for you, and no more.

There will be some people that you must cut out of your life completely if they are too detrimental to your well-being, but cutting too many people out of your life can lead to loneliness and isolation. You do not always need to cut people out of your life; sometimes you can just learn to deal with them differently. In most cases you can let the good parts of them enrich your life if you know your limits. For example, this may mean spending no more than four hours with a challenging person. Stay flexible and keep adjusting your boundaries as needed. People do change over time.

JANUARY 19

HAPPINESS AND MEANING

When you ask people what they want, they will often tell you that they just want to be happy. If you then ask them what this means, they do not always know. Many times, they get the thing that they thought would make them happy, but then they are still unhappy. Life is not just about being happy. It is also about finding meaning in our lives and feeling like we make a difference.

Truly happy people believe that they are leaving the world a better place because they ares in it. If you want to be happy, find something to be enthusiastic about other than comfort and luxury. The secret to being miserable is having the leisure time to worry about whether or not you are happy. Seek gratitude, meaning, and purpose in order to find true fulfillment. If you don’t know what you are passionate about, make the effort to find out. Then go out and make your mark on the world.

JANUARY 20

FACE YOUR FEARS

Fear is part of the human condition. It has an adaptive purpose in protecting us from danger, but often gets twisted up into areas